People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng Kok Kwang revealed that he plans to raise the issue regarding secondhand smoke in Parliament.
Pointing out that a lot of people are affected by the secondhand smoke in their residences, Mr Ng asked Singaporeans on his Facebook for their views on protecting the people from secondhand smoke.
“It’s crazy that some of us are affected by secondhand smoke in our own homes 😢 The smoke comes from our neighbours.
And it’s crazy because the secondhand smoke could kill you. One person in SINGAPORE dies everyday due to secondhand smoke (based on 383 deaths in 2016).”
The Nee Soon MP explained that he did not believe that banning smoking in HDB flats is the solution to this issue, that was why he resolved to look for a middle ground for both smokers and non-smokers.
“Is the solution a ban on smoking in HDB flats? I don’t think so and we can find a middle ground. We must respect the rights of smokers but at the same time protect the health of non-smokers.”
Previously, it had been reported that Singaporeans have been suffering from inhaling secondhand smoke during circuit breaker where most people had to work from home. Since there was no ban on smoking at home, smokers ended up lighting cigarettes in the comfort of their homes.
The cigarette smoke would linger into neighbours’ homes, somehow “forcing” them to inhale the harmful substance.
Singaporeans support the ban
Many resonated with Mr Ng’s Facebook post and decided to leave comments to support the ban of smoking in HDB flats and other residential properties.
Some netizens suggested that flats should provide a designated area for smokers, while Vee believed that increasing taxes on cigarettes would help to reduce the consumption.
Apart from the smell, Terrus commented that the smoker who resides in the unit upstairs tends to dispose of their cigarette butts and ashes off the floor, landing onto Terrus’s property.
